Posted January 07, 2023 by acacGames
Happy New Years!
Over the last week, I've been prototyping a skill map generator for a currently non-existent RPG. It's strongly influenced by the skill map in Path of Exile, or the sphere grid in Final Fantasy X. Here's what it looks like.
You can try out the prototype here on your web browser:
https://acacgames.itch.io/rsmgt
There are some things that I like about this, and there are some things that I don't like about it.
I like that it can reliably generate random selections of bonuses while playing the game. I like that colors can indicate the theme of each "tile" of 5 "nodes". I like how the nodes and paths light up to indicate which bonuses are activated. The green node (top left) indicates which node the player has selected.
But, I think this system became too complicated. It's complicated to code for and around, and it's maybe too complicated for players to enjoy and plan around. Furthermore, the random selection design might not be fun for a game that has a long playthrough duration. It might be better for a game that has a short playthrough duration, like maybe a Rogue-Like/Lite.
I also don't like how sometimes stats are not displayed in the same order. For example, see how in one of the below images, Spirit comes before Power, and in the other, Power comes before Spirit. This is a flaw in my current implementation of this system.
Next, I think I might try to prototype either the item system, or a different skill system. An alternative to the "random skill" system above that I'm considering is something more akin to the Skyrim system of gaining skill bonuses. In both systems, you get 1 point to allocate, every time you level up, and that point has to be allocated on a skill node next to a previously activated skill node (plus some nuances). The difference is that the Skyrim system doesn't give the player a random map. Instead, skyrim invites you to invest in whichever pre-made branch (swords, heavy armor, alchemy, etc) that you want. This might be better and more satisfying for a long running RPG, and gives the player more control.
What do you think?